Gorge Yourself On Good Things!

The other night, I went to one of my favorite places to eat: the Brazilian churrascaria Fogo de Chao.

Whatever your pleasure, feast on it.

I’m a meat girl in the grandest sense (I’ve ordered chicken for dessert before. Seriously.) And every now and then, I like to be able to have as much meat as I want in as many options as possible, from the pichanha to the lamb chop to the filet mignon to the pork loin, all on one big plate. I apologize to the vegetarians who find this unappealing, but the fact is, when I like something, once in a while, I want to gorge on it. And I realized that really? We should do this in life, too.

I know that most advice tells us that everything in moderation is best. And when it comes to vices, yes, moderation is key. (Don’t worry, when I’m not eating at what I like to call “Meat Universe,” I moderate.) But when it comes to good, healthy things that fulfill us in a deeper sense—food, music, travel, friendships, nature, hobbies—I say we should gorge on it. Living a fantastic life isn’t about doing a few little things averagely. It’s about finding what you’re most passionate about and gorging on it until you’re absolutely beaming.

Some people might not agree with your choices (you really like owl art this much, huh?), the way I’m sure some people think my passion for sizzling slabs of meat is wrong. But hey, we’re all different, and the fun of life is figuring out what is out there in life that’s great enough for you to gorge on.

I got a copy of a book recently that applies this theory to dating, too. It’s called MENU Dating, by Tristan Coopersmith and Todd Johnson. And they define the title by saying this:

“Menu Dating is the practice of dating in small bites with great abundance, great purpose and great variety. . . As many men as possible will become your mission, and your mantra will be ‘More is more!‘ Lots and lots of filling, delectable men.”

For those of you who are looking for a relationship (guys, this means you, too), I think that every once in a while, this is a great idea! Look at life—and dating—as one big buffet. “The entire world is like one big dating shopping mall,” the authors say, “filled with opportunities to meet someone—the car wash, the Laundromat, the subway, the history museum and so on. Chemistry between people can spark in any environment, so long as you are open to it and exuding the right energy.”

Look at life and love as your big buffet. If you’re after a relationship, maybe you could use a good feast of dates to get your game back on. If you’re after a meaningful career or a life that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning, find what makes you most passionate and gorge on that. Yes, you may have to unbutton your pants for a few hours when you’re done, but special meals like that don’t come around very often. As the comedian Doug Stanhope joked in a recent clip of his on YouTube, “The key to life is excess in moderation.” He took the joke to crazy places (as a comedian should), but I like the idea. Find the passion you’re hungry for, pick up your fork and start gobbling.